P. Pine for decoys?

Andy Grant

Andy Grant

Well-known member
I have a huge Ponderosa Pine that needs to come done. Will the wood be any good for decoys? It would be enough for hundreds and hundred of blocks. It is 30"+ diameter by 100' tall. The tree is dying and I don't want it to fall on the house or shop. I have carved any decoys, but can get all the pine or Douglas fir I want, if it is any good.
 
I'd be using it for sure. I've used pine and spruce and they both work well. Not as light or soft as cedar, but totally usable. Get it down and store it to dry.

Mike
 
I manage a cedar grove so I may be able to get a hold of some red cedar also. It would have to be already down though. It wouldn't look good if I started my own logging operation. How long should the wood dry before working with it?

I think I can make a decoy body, but am a bit nervous about making a head that doesn't look like a club. What is the best way to make the head? Rough it out with a band saw? which I don't have.
 
tell me what species you want to start with and give me your address and I'll send you a head that is already cut out..you can use that one for a template on the nxt one. It always helps to have something in your hand to use for an example....

I'm going to be in Portland at that big Antique Show with my wife the first weekend in March...if you are going to be close maybe we can meet at the show, or after, or before on Sunday, and I can show you a couple of things on getting started if that will help....

Let me know...my e-address is nuvan@comcast.net if you want to contact me...

Steve
 
Doug Fir will derive you nuts..it's hard, fuzzy..cuts in chunks and WILL split. That pondy pine tree sounds like a windfall if you can get it cut up correctly. With that big of diameter I bet you could get it 1/4 sawn and have some nice 8/4 or 12/4 pieces.
 
I will stick with the pine and see if I can get my hands on some cedar later. I should be able to get quite a bit of wood out of. If it was still green the mill would probably pay around $1000 for it. I need to get it down this spring before it literaly is a windfall.
 
$1000 ?! Well sell it to the mill then and go buy all the dry, squared wood you want. I log and dry some of my own wood just because I have to here, but if I could buy good dry wood I totally would. Moving big green logs around is hard work, even if you have a tractor or a skidder.

Sell that sucker!

Mike
 
The tree has already died from the top down probably 80-90%. This causes blue stain which is a cosmetic defect and renders the wood almost worthless at the mill. If I would have know the tree was going to die I would logged it last year, but it turn yellow in a matter of weeks.

Talking with Steve Sutton though, it sounds like cedar or even cork will be a better route. The p. pine isn't used for decoys around here, maybe for good reason.
$1000 ?! Well sell it to the mill then and go buy all the dry, squared wood you want. I log and dry some of my own wood just because I have to here, but if I could buy good dry wood I totally would. Moving big green logs around is hard work, even if you have a tractor or a skidder.

Sell that sucker!

Mike
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